Randy Travis Attends Hometown Sign Dedication in His Honor

Randy Travis' hometown of Marshville, North Carolina, has a brand new sign boasting the birthplace of the star, and Travis himself attended the sign dedication ceremony on Monday (Sept. 18).

The country legend's name greeted people as they came to town for years, but two welcome signs bearing his name were removed in 2014, not long after his 2013 stroke. At the time, the town manager said the signs citing Marshville as Travis' birthplace were simply too busy, and that the town wanted to go in a simpler direction, but that "there was no disrespect to Randy Travis."

Fans around the country weren't happy with that answer. During the dedication ceremony of the new signs earlier this week, Marshville Mayor Franklin Deese joked that "I didn't know that so many people from all over the country could find my phone number."

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The townsfolk seem happy with the updated sign, which includes the country singer's name yet again. One resident, Amy Nance, took the time to talk to radio station WYRK about Travis and the honor the town is bestowing on him.

"He's become so humble, which was probably God's plan, that it's heartwarming to see him recognized for his gift and not judged for [his] past," she says.

At the ceremony, Travis spent time posing for photos with the crowd and managed to tell them, "Thank you very much" for the honor. Travis was partially paralyzed after his stroke and as a result has difficulty speaking and must travel in a wheelchair.

Marshville is a town of about 2,000 residents just 35 miles east of Charlotte. Many of those residents attended the sign dedication, including Travis' wife, Mary, and his brother, Ricky Traywick, WYRK reports. Mary fought back tears through much of the ceremony, which included giving Travis the keys to the city.